


each time you fall in love

by boadiceas



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Adopted Children, Adoption, Domestic Fluff, Drinking, Drinking to Cope, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Kid Fic, Light Angst, M/M, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-02 19:52:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11516271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boadiceas/pseuds/boadiceas
Summary: There’s only one person in the second bed and even in the darkness, Harry recognizes him.Louis.Harry looks down at Stella and finds the little girl staring up at him expectantly. He swallows hard and kneels so both of them are at eye level.“Is that your Daddy?” he whispers quietly, nodding towards Louis’ sleeping form. He tries his best to keep his voice even.Harry feels like his head is spinning when Stella nods and whispers back a clear yes.Or, Louis adopts a little girl during the band's hiatus. Although they broke up two years ago, Harry doesn't really know how to feel about it.





	each time you fall in love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Octoberrose11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Octoberrose11/gifts).



> Hi, Octoberrose11!
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this fic. I had lots of fun writing it! Thank you for your prompts. A disclaimer for those reading: I'm not familiar with the foster care system in the UK at all so there may be inconsistencies and mistakes in my story. Apologies for that! 
> 
> A very special thank you to my beta, Wendy. This work is completely fictional and doesn't reflect any of the characters in reality.

_December 2015_

It’s nearly midnight when the black SUV pulls up to the front of the two-story house, its headlights illuminating the dark windows. The bright lights turn off after a moment and a man steps out of the passenger seat. He closes the door and turns around, leaning his head into the open window.

“Thanks for driving me, Li. I'm fucking exhausted,” Louis murmurs, rubbing the back of his neck.

His entire body feels like it’s being weighed down with heavy bricks. He wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly melted into a puddle of goo right here in the middle of his driveway.

Hopefully Liam would be kind enough to clean him up.

“It's no problem, mate. What are you up to tomorrow?” Liam asks. He turns the car engine off and turns towards Louis in his seat. “Want to come over? I’m thinking of having a party. Niall and some of the record guys are coming.”

Louis shifts from foot to foot, suddenly feeling very awkward when the unsaid words echo inside his head. _Harry isn't coming._

“Um,” he begins. “Sure. I think I'll bring the girls. Is that alright?”

Liam nods, a kind smile spreading across his face. “Of course. Bring everybody. There'll be more than enough food and the girls can swim in the indoor pool if they want. I thought it'd be nice before everyone leaves and you know, does their own thing,” he says, shrugging and looking down at his lap. He starts to pick absently at a loose thread on his t-shirt.

If Louis hadn’t known Liam for nearly seven years, he would have assumed that the other man was happy about having everyone over at his house tomorrow. As it is, Louis knows that Liam is upset. His smile has disappeared and his downcast eyes betray him. In the past, he used to hide his feelings very well by plastering a smile on his face and taking care of someone else. The other boys, his family, or the fans. Now, sitting in the dark with no one but Louis around, he doesn’t try to hide it.

Louis understands how he feels. The band officially went on hiatus only a couple of days ago and after being on a constant schedule for nearly five years, it’s been a huge shock. After their last performance on the X-Factor, Louis had felt like he was standing at the edge of a cliff and looking out into an endless horizon. What was he supposed to do with his life now that there wasn’t an album to make, a show to perform, or an interview to give?

More than anything, Louis felt restless. He wasn’t familiar with a vacation that had no end date. For seven years, his life had been given a strict schedule and there were consequences if he didn’t follow it. He didn’t really know what to do with himself now that he had nothing planned for the near future.

Except maybe starting a family of his own.

The only people that knew were his immediate family and more recently, Liam. It hadn’t been something that he had spent a lot of time thinking about. Years ago, Louis knew that he had wanted a family of his own some day and it would have been nice to start one when his life wasn’t dedicated to the band. He was about to turn twenty-five and he felt more than ready to have a child of his own. It felt like the perfect time to do it after the band had come together and decided that yes, they definitely needed a break.

Louis had become familiar with the U.K. foster care system about six months before he knew the hiatus would start. He understood that adopting a child took time and he wanted the process to go smoothly. His mum was the first person he had told. She helped him with every step along the way, a huge smile always present on her face.

He received the call about a month ago when he was at home in Doncaster with his family for the weekend.

His hands were shaking when he answered the phone. He had always told himself to not get his hopes up because nothing could be guaranteed, especially during the holiday season. He almost couldn’t believe it when the social worker on the other end of the line told him that she had someone for him to meet.

When he hung up, he told his mum and they cried in each other’s arms. He went to bed that night and tried his best to ignore the nagging feeling in his stomach that told him he was forgetting to share the good news with someone else. Someone who might have cried with him, too.

Louis drove to the adoption center the next day. His mum tagged along with him for the long drive to London, both of them discussing their plans for after the X-Factor performance. They had decided that they would spend the holidays in Los Angeles at Louis’ home and they would bring their new family member with them.

The first time Louis laid eyes on Stella, he could only see her hands. She had her small body wrapped around the social worker’s leg as she hid behind the tall woman’s desk, occasionally peeking out at the two strangers she didn’t recognize. Louis spent a long time sitting and talking to the social worker in her office, discussing legal matters and filling out more paperwork. He was utterly surprised when he turned to look at his mum at one point and found a pair of wide, brown eyes blinking up at him.

The little girl shifted from where she was perched on Jay’s lap and reached up, poking Louis’ scruffy cheek. She was small for a five-year-old. She reminded Louis of a tiny mouse with the dust of freckles on her face and the mop of wavy, brown hair she had.

“Hello,” Louis whispered. Jay watched the interaction with a quiet smile on her face.

Stella poked him again on the other cheek. This time, Louis crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out. The little girl giggled and made a funny face back at him, pushing her cheeks together and letting her tongue fall out.

Louis was endeared. The social worker laughed gently from where she sat behind her desk. Jay shook her head at both of them as they made more funny faces at each other.

“You two are quite silly,” she laughed, gently stroking Stella’s hair.

When they walked out of the building with the girl jumping in between them and holding their hands, Louis knew that nothing in the world could take away the smile he had on his face. He was the happiest he had ever been in a long time.

Weeks later, Stella was adjusting amazingly within the family. She got along with Ernest and Doris, the girls, and especially Jay. She absolutely loved Jay. When they had told Stella that they were taking an airplane to go to America soon, the little girl had asked if she could sit next to Jay. They talked quietly between themselves for the entire trip and the girl eventually fell asleep, her head resting in Jay’s lap.

Stella was a brave girl. Louis had learned from the social worker that she had been in the foster care system since she was barely a year old. Her mother had given her up after not being able to take care of Stella at a young age. Louis couldn’t imagine how difficult of a decision that must have been. It was probably like giving up a piece of yourself that you couldn’t live without. Louis felt so lucky that the little girl had found her way into all of their lives.

Once they landed in LA and settled themselves in Louis’ house, they spent a lot of time taking Stella out and showing her around. Louis made sure they had their privacy and that no rogue paparazzi would follow them and take pictures. He had made the choice to keep Stella away from the public and he would do whatever was necessary to keep things that way.

Lottie, Fizzy, and the older twins tasked themselves with helping Louis pick stuff out for Stella’s new room. That day, Jay and Dan had taken Ernest and the girls out for lunch and some ice cream. Louis realized too late that they had taken his car when he needed to go pick up some items from an art store nearby. His only choice was to call Liam and ask for a ride since he lived down the road and was staying in LA, too. His second choice, which really wasn’t a choice at all, was to reveal the truth and tell Liam about his daughter.

Liam didn’t believe him at first. Not because he thought Louis wasn’t parent material but because he thought Louis would have wanted to start a family when he wasn’t single. Truth be told, Louis didn’t want to wait any longer. He knew he had his amazing family as support and he had more than enough love inside of himself to give to Stella. He loved her more than anything.

She had been in their lives for only a little over a month but it felt like she had always been there. She made everything so much better with her bright personality and her toothless grin. Louis felt like he was dreaming sometimes with how much luck he had.

Often, he would have to push away selfish feelings that sprouted up when his mind wandered too much. But those thoughts didn’t matter when he had Stella.

Liam was happy for him no matter what. They had shared a long hug and Liam vowed that he wouldn’t tell anyone. They ended up driving to the art store and hitting up a bunch of other places afterwards, an unspoken assurance sitting inside of their chests. Neither of them were ready for the next phases of their lives to start but right now, they could spend some time together and act like things were as they used to be.

Louis hadn’t planned to get back so late but he knows Stella is safe with his mum. She had probably made sure everyone ate dinner and then sent them off to bed. He knows the girls will be excited tomorrow when he tells them they have a party to go to.

“Liam,” Louis says, reaching over to grip the other man’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

Liam looks up, then, coming out of his head and whatever thought he had been mulling over. Louis is pretty sure he knows what Liam had been thinking about.

“Don’t overthink. Just enjoy the time you have, okay?” he murmurs, rubbing Liam’s shoulder.

Liam sighs deeply. “I know. I’m trying my best. It’s just…it feels strange, you know?”

“I know. But it’s the best thing for us,” Louis reasons. They all really need to learn how to do things for themselves. Louis is starting to think it might not be as easy as he thought it would be.

Louis opens the back door of Liam’s car and takes out his shopping bags, returning to the passenger window once he’s got everything. “We’ll have a good time tomorrow. And you can meet Stella. How does that sound?”

Liam smiles at him, his eyes bright again. “That sounds amazing. I can’t wait to meet her.”

Louis returns the smile and nods. “Good. What time should we come?” he asks.

The car engine starts and Liam turns on the headlights. “Come around six,” he replies.

“Okay. Get some sleep, mate. See you tomorrow,” Louis says, waving with his free hand. Liam waves back at him. Louis watches silently as he backs out of the driveway and drives down the road, disappearing around a corner.

Louis takes a deep breath before he turns and trudges up the walkway. He unlocks the front door and enters the dark house, shutting the door quietly behind himself. He goes into the foyer and sets all the bags by the entrance. He’ll deal with everything tomorrow morning.

He walks quietly upstairs and peeks into the guest bedrooms one by one, seeing everyone asleep except for Stella and his mum. When he gets to the last door in the hallway, he pokes his head in and smiles at the sight he sees.

Stella is sound asleep in her bed, one small fist tucked underneath her chin. Her messy hair covers her face as she snores quietly. Jay is fast asleep in a rocking chair near the corner of the room, a forgotten book sitting on her lap. A night light casts a gentle, warm glow over their relaxed faces.

Louis pads over and kneels on the floor next to the rocking chair. “Mum,” he whispers, placing a gentle hand on her elbow.

Jay wakes up easily, looking slightly confused before her eyes come to rest on Louis’ face.

“Hello, love,” she whispers, reaching out to caress Louis’ cheek. “How was your day?”

Louis leans into her warm touch. “It was okay. I forgot that I needed to pick up some things for Stella’s room so I had Liam drive me around,” he explains. “We had fun.”

Jay pats his cheek and leans over, taking the book from her lap and setting it on Stella’s nightstand. “How is he doing?”

“He’s good. There’s going to be a get together at his house tomorrow and he invited all of us. The girls can swim inside,” Louis says. He’s silent for a moment before he adds quietly, “I’m going to introduce him to Stella.”  

Jay sweeps his fringe away from his face and smiles. “Are you?” she asks, watching him thoughtfully.

Louis nods, getting up from the floor. He fixes his hair with nimble fingers and bites his bottom lip. “I am.”

“Love,” Jay stands and pulls him into an embrace, “that’s wonderful. You’re her father now. It’s okay if you want to introduce Stella to people. Liam is family. You can’t keep her hidden away,” she says, laughing gently.

Louis smiles sadly against her cheek. He knew this would come up sooner rather than later.

“I know, Mum. It’s just…” he trails off, hugging her tighter. He’s afraid to say it. If he says it, then he has to acknowledge how he truly feels.

“What is it, sweetheart?” she murmurs, pulling away and looking into Louis’ face. He looks slightly pained, the night light illuminating his serious expression.

Louis sighs deeply and looks down at the floor. “What about Harry?” he whispers.

_Harry._ Everything always comes back to him, Louis thinks.

Jay takes his hand, leading him out of Stella’s room and into the hallway outside. She considers her son for a moment with a contemplative gaze.

“Does he know?” she finally asks.

Louis shakes his head. “No,” he exhales shakily. Suddenly, he feels like he can’t breathe with how quickly a memory hits him square in the chest.

The last time he saw Harry.

It was after their X-Factor performance a couple of weeks ago. They had come off stage after finishing their last song and all Louis could hear was the roar of the audience. There was so much noise. It hadn’t really hit him yet that they had just performed for the last time. He remembers standing by himself backstage, feeling comforted by the dim lights and the fact that no one had immediately come to fetch him.

He was in shock, he figured. Everything felt surreal in that moment. All he had the energy to do was to check his phone for any missed calls from the adoption center. When he saw that no one had called him, he retreated to the bathrooms in the back of the building, near the dressing rooms. He remembers passing Liam and Niall, both of them having a conversation with some members of their management. But they didn’t notice him.

Louis felt like a ghost.

He entered the men’s bathroom and hurried over to the sink. He washed his face with cold water, silently wishing for a cigarette. He felt incredibly anxious now that he had nothing to do for tomorrow, or the day after that, or even next week. And he couldn’t even really have a cigarette because he was trying to quit that habit. He needed to stop smoking in case the social worker actually did call him with good news.

“Fuck,” he muttered, drying his face. He stared at himself in the mirror and tried to calm himself down by fixing his slightly wet fringe. He lost his focus when he suddenly heard a quiet sniffle.

Louis looked in the mirror with wide eyes, fixing his attention on the rows of stalls behind him. His gaze landed on a pair of black Gucci boots that he was all too familiar with. As if on cue, the large pair of feet shuffled around and Louis heard the sound of a toilet flushing.

Louis looked down and began to wash his hands as the stall door opened. How had he failed to notice? A tall, long-haired figure wearing a red suit with flowers appeared next to him. His familiar aroma hit Louis in the face like a pile of bricks.

“Hi,” Harry rasped.

Louis continued to wash his hands, taking a little bit longer than a normal person probably would.

“Hi,” he responded cautiously.

Harry began to wash his own hands, his tall frame bent over and his long hair covering his face. Louis turned off the sink and dried himself, watching Harry’s broad shoulders move underneath his red blazer. He risked a glance at the younger man’s face in the bathroom mirror. What he saw there made his stomach drop.

“Were you crying?” Louis blurted out. Fuck. What happened to being subtle? He quickly shut his mouth and mentally punched himself for being stupid. He had no right to ask Harry a question like that. Not anymore.

Harry shut the water off, drying his large palms and eventually the leftover tears on his face. He swallowed harshly before muttering, “No.”

Louis crossed his arms. “Harry. I heard you.” _And I know what you sound like when you’re crying,_ he wanted to add. He winced as he bit his own tongue.

Harry started to fix the cuffs of his blazer, his face obscured as he looked down. Louis didn’t budge from where he was leaning against the bathroom wall.

Finally, Harry spoke in a quiet voice. Louis didn’t miss the sharp edge to it. “Is it a crime for someone to be upset? I’m allowed to have feelings, aren’t I?”

Louis bit his tongue harder. Of course Harry would be acting this way. It was an emotional night for all of them. Harry never liked to hide his feelings, couldn’t hide them to save his life, and Louis was just fine with shoving everything down until it crumbled into nothing.

That was possibly the biggest factor that had led to their demise.

They had ended their relationship nearly two years ago. Two long years of sleepless nights, avoiding each other as best as they could in any situation that wasn’t professional, and heaps of regret on Louis’ part. He hadn’t wanted them to break up.

But, the pressure became unbearable. They couldn’t handle the closeting, the beards, the intense schedule they were forced under. They couldn’t be a couple, couldn’t do _proper_ things that couples did, and it hit them hard. Harry wanted to kiss Louis in public. He didn’t want to go on outings with women he barely knew and to act like they were dating. Louis wanted everyone to know that he was a devoted boyfriend. But not to a woman who acted as his fake girlfriend.

Neither of them could handle the pain because they were only human. When they hit their breaking point, Harry had initiated the break-up and Louis simply followed along because all he ever wanted was for Harry to be happy. He figured they could move on, remain friends, and salvage that special part of their relationship that made them work so well together.

It had been two years and Louis was fucked because he hadn’t moved on.

He hadn’t even budged in the slightest because he was still so incredibly in love with Harry. He loved Harry so much that it made his chest ache and the pain had only gotten worse as the years passed. Louis had tried to shove the feeling away, he really did, but he felt like it was beyond his control.

All Louis could do was keep it a secret. He told himself that a relationship with Harry wouldn’t work again. He could never have what he truly wanted because it would only hurt the younger man.

And that was the very last thing in the world that Louis wanted to do.

So, he accepted the way things needed to be and loved Harry from afar. He respected him as his own person and worked with him when it came to their jobs. Louis had never felt that there was any real bad blood between them, but he did detect irritation from Harry sometimes. Like that night in the bathroom. Louis assumed it was a side effect of constantly being around an ex that reminded you of bad memories from your past relationship.

Louis took a deep breath. “Harry,” he started, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

Louis realized his mistake before he had even finished speaking.

He bit his bottom lip as Harry slowly turned towards him, hands clenched tightly into fists. Louis was dumbstruck as the younger man’s bright, watery eyes bore into his.

“Fuck off, Louis,” he hissed angrily. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need _you._ ”

Louis’ jaw tensed up at those words and before he knew it, his mouth was moving. “I’m trying to be a nice fucking person, Harry. What the hell is wrong with you?” he spat.

He felt waves of heat rushing over his body, waves that made him feel more irritated. He was just trying to be a good friend and Harry was acting like he was being an asshole for caring.

Louis’ jaw slackened when he saw a tear streak down Harry’s face, dripping from his chin. Louis fought the urge to pull the boy into his arms and watched, speechless, as Harry wept openly and wiped his face in irritation.

“Just leave me alone, Louis,” he sniveled. “Okay? I—I’m sorry.” His face scrunched up in pain and then he was turning, the door slamming loudly behind him as he strode out of the bathroom.

That was the last time Louis had seen him. He didn’t understand what Harry was sorry for because Louis had made the mistake of bringing his own needs into the conversation. Harry was bound to have gotten mad at him for that and moreover, Harry had the right to be left alone in peace.

Louis should have apologized.

Now, all he could think about was Harry and if someone as important as Stella was a person he could be introduced to one day. But Louis knew that his mum wasn’t asking if Harry knew about his daughter.

Jay, out of everyone, saw right through him and knew that he still had feelings for Harry after all these years. And he wanted Harry to be someone significant to Stella.

“Mum,” he sighs.

Jay caresses his cheek and frowns. “Telling him is the right thing to do, love.”

“He’s moved on. I know it. It could never happen. He’s—he probably doesn’t feel the same,” Louis says hopelessly. He runs a hand through his hair and shuts his eyes. He’s a fool. They broke up for a reason. Many valid reasons, in fact.

“You don’t know that, Louis. It wouldn’t hurt to try. The band is on break now and things are different,” Jay reasons, kissing her son gently on the forehead. “Take a chance. Okay?”

Louis swallows harshly and opens his eyes. “Okay,” he agrees.

Jay smiles at him proudly and pats his cheek. “I’m going to bed, sweetheart. I’ll see you in the morning. I love you.”

Louis hugs her one more time, savoring his mother’s comforting warmness. “I love you, too. Goodnight,” he whispers.

Louis watches her disappear into one of the guest rooms down the hall. He returns to Stella’s room and kisses her gently on the forehead, the little girl snuffling gently in her sleep. He pulls the blanket up to her chin so she doesn’t get cold in the middle of the night. Then, he shuts her door halfway and ambles quietly to his own room.

When he turns off his bedroom light and climbs into bed, Louis can only see Harry’s tearful eyes in the darkness.

*

For the first time in a long while, Louis is having fun.

He had arrived at Liam’s place a little bit after six o’clock, his sisters following behind him with Stella in his arms. They had spent the entire morning and afternoon at home watching movies and playing games. The girls were excited when Louis told them they were going to Liam’s house later and they’d be able to swim and play with whatever cool stuff he had lying around. Jay had ultimately decided to stay home with Dan and the younger twins. Louis informed her that they would probably spend the night at Liam’s, so they had the house to themselves.

The girls were happy to see Liam if their huge cuddle was anything to go by. On the other hand, Stella hid her face in Louis’ shoulder and didn’t budge when Liam said hello to her. After they came inside and walked to the kitchen, the little girl began to loosen up when Liam offered her some chocolate candies.

After about ten minutes of sharing chocolate between themselves while Louis talked about what they’d been doing for the last few weeks, Stella was laughing as she chased Liam from the kitchen to the living room. Louis watched fondly and wondered how he got so lucky with her.

Now, he watches all of the girls swim in the indoor pool while he lets his feet soak in the water. Louis had put a pair of floaties on Stella and he smiles as she swims by, her tiny feet kicking strongly.

“Good job, love,” he praises. He watches with interest as the little girl swims to the edge of the pool and climbs out, her dark hair matted to her forehead. She walks up next to Louis and wipes her eyes. Louis grins up at her.

“You’re very good at swimming, Stella,” he observes.

“Thank you,” she says quietly. Both of them watch as Phoebe and Daisy have a splash fight at the other end of the pool.

After a few moments, Louis feels fingers tapping lightly on his shoulder. He hums as he turns his head towards the little girl next to him.

Stella is looking down at him with a focused gaze. She rubs her eyes again and yawns before she asks frankly, “Are you my Daddy now?”

Louis blinks, turning his whole body towards her. He nods and gives her a kind smile. “I am, yes. You’re a part of our family now, love,” he says gently.

When she remains quiet, Louis continues. “Lottie, Fiz, Phoebe, Daisy, and Doris are your sisters. Ernie is your brother. And you have a Nana, too,” he explains. “How does that sound?”

“Big family,” she says quietly. She looks down at where a puddle has formed where she’s standing, her toes dipping in and out of the water.

“It is a big family,” Louis agrees. “But we all love you very much. We’re going to take care of you, okay?”

Stella smiles at that and shrugs. “Okay,” she decides. She seems totally unfazed by the significance of their conversation, Louis considers. That’s alright because she’s still so young.

Louis laughs when she suddenly shouts, “Watch this, Daddy!” and jumps into the pool, splashing water everywhere and paddling away like a puppy. Lottie and Fizzy watch from across the room with smiles on their faces. Louis is completely endeared and his chest feels a little bit lighter as he wipes water off his face.

An hour later, Liam has finished dinner. Louis eats with Stella and his sisters in the living room while Liam drinks and chats in the kitchen with some studio friends he’s invited. They stay for about an hour before they say goodbye to Liam, waving at Louis and the girls as they leave.

Liam eventually joins them on the couch. After much insistence on the part of Stella and the younger twins, they end up watching the Powerpuff Girls while Louis tries not to fall asleep with his sisters and daughter cuddling him.  

*

Harry is having the best time of his life.

At the moment, he’s watching intently as a bartender lines up six shot glasses onto a tray and pours some vodka into each. Harry licks his lips, giving a bright smile to the blond man once he's finished and pushing the tray across the counter.

“Cheers, mate,” Harry says, winking.

The bartender nods to him and gives a small salute, smiling kindly as Harry picks up the tray and turns around.

He walks back to where he left Niall and Gemma, careful to not spill his tray of drinks as he weaves his way around the edge of the dance floor. This particular club is a popular one in Los Angeles for celebrities. It's a club that he and the boys would come to often when they had some time off from tour a couple of years ago and were staying in LA. They always ended up getting wickedly drunk and having someone drive them back to Harry’s house. They would all pass out in the living room, sprawled on whatever piece of furniture they landed on first.

Except for Harry. He never slept in the living room on those nights. And neither did someone else.

“Shit!” Harry hisses suddenly.

He holds onto the tray for dear life as someone bumps into him, causing him to stumble. Or maybe he was the one doing the bumping. Whatever. It doesn't matter.

Right now, what matters to Harry is safely getting to the booth that Niall and Gemma are sitting in. He can see both of their blonde heads leaned towards each other from where he's standing, Niall listening carefully as Gemma talks and waves her hands around.

It must be a pretty good story she’s telling because when Harry sets the tray on the table and plops in his seat, neither of them look up.

Harry rolls his eyes and takes two of the shot glasses off the tray, placing them on his side of the table. He does the same for Niall and Gemma, placing four glasses on their side.

“What’s this?” Niall asks, picking up one of the glasses and smelling the substance. He winces when he gets a good whiff. “That’s strong, mate.”

“Then I’ll drink yours,” Harry says simply. He can’t allow good alcohol to go to waste.

Niall rolls his eyes. “I’ve got it, thanks,” he smirks, tilting his head back and drinking one of his glasses. Harry and Gemma follow, similar grimaces on their faces as they swallow their drinks.

“Fuck. That burned on the way down,” Gemma says, voice rough. Harry laughs at the expression on her face. “Oh, shut up,” she grumbles.

“You guys aren’t as fun as you used to be,” Harry complains, downing his second shot quickly. He squeezes his eyes shut and coughs as the alcohol leaves a trail of fire from his throat to his stomach.

Niall and Gemma copy him this time. Niall makes a pained sound as he sets his empty glass on the table. Gemma massages her temple with one hand and rubs Niall’s back comfortingly with the other. They’ve looked better, Harry thinks.

“Harry,” Niall says, waving his hand in the other man’s direction. Harry hums in response and tries to block out the sudden buzzing noise in his head.

“Liam texted earlier and said he was having people over at his place. Do you want to go?” Niall asks, resting his face in his hands. Gemma types away on her phone, oblivious to the conversation.

Harry looks around and surveys the club. It _was_ boring in here tonight. Harry didn’t know if the energy in the room was because of everyone else or himself, but he had an inkling of thought that he just wasn’t having a good time here tonight. He felt like this was the very last place Niall and Gemma wanted to be and he couldn’t blame them – they’d been coming out with him for almost a week now since they arrived in LA.

Harry just wanted to drink and have fun. He wasn’t angry at Niall and Gemma for wanting to do something else. However, he _was_ pissed with himself for not realizing how annoying he was being sooner.

“Why not?” he says, plastering a smile on his face. Niall beams at him and reaches over to tousle his curls.

“This place isn’t the same as it used to be, anyways!” Niall says, grabbing his jacket.

“I’ll call a car around,” Gemma announces. She swats Niall away when he scoots up close behind her and nuzzles into her neck.

Harry sighs, picking up his own coat. It would be nice to not be a third wheel anymore, either.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry and Niall are singing to a Beyoncé song in the back of the car while Gemma acts like she isn’t filming them. They’re all laughing so loudly that they don’t hear the driver’s announcement that they’ve arrived.

“Come on, boys. We’re here,” Gemma says, climbing out of the car.

Niall and Harry follow, hugging each other as they begin to walk up to the front of the house while Gemma lingers behind and says thank you to their driver.

Harry can hear some music coming from the back yard. He’s about to call out for Liam but then Niall rings the doorbell. They wait in silence while Gemma comes up behind them and looks around.

Suddenly, the door opens and Niall is crying out, “Liam!”

The two of them give Liam a huge hug and Harry only steps away when he starts to feel like he’s about to suffocate. Niall holds onto him longer and shoves his blond head into the other man’s neck.

“Oh Liam, I’ve missed you so much,” he moans sadly. Gemma rolls her eyes and steps forward to give Liam a kiss on the cheek.

“Niall, you just saw him two weeks ago,” she muses.

Niall pulls away and gives her a non-threatening glare. “Two weeks without this man is an eternity for me, Gems.”

Liam chuckles and ruffles his messy hair. “I missed you, too, Ni,” he says, becoming quiet once he looks over at Harry. “I didn’t know you were coming, mate. You been busy?”

Harry shrugs, drunk enough to not notice the slight tension in his voice. “Not really. Niall said you had a thing going on. We were—” he sniffs. “Did you cook something? Smells delicious.”

“I did. Are you guys hungry?” Liam asks, shutting the front door.

All three of them nod eagerly and Liam smiles, gesturing towards the kitchen. “There should still be some food left. Come on, I’ll feed you.”

Niall clutches onto him as they amble to the kitchen, mumbling about how much he loves Liam while Gemma tries not to laugh too loudly.

It turned out that there was _a lot_ of food left.

The house was strangely quiet as Harry sat at the kitchen counter by himself and stuffed his face with a second plate of roasted potatoes. Liam had whisked Niall and Gemma away to show them the view from his backyard. Harry wasn’t upset because he felt like being alone now that he was sobering up, and he didn’t want Niall trying to steal some of his food.

Apparently, the other guests Liam invited had left not too long ago. Harry could see the evidence littered on the kitchen counter. There was alcohol and surprisingly, a couple of empty juice boxes.

Harry gets up and opens Liam’s fridge, roaming around for a spare juice box. He knows there must be at least one more in here. He huffs triumphantly when he finds one hiding behind a bottle of ketchup.

When he shuts the refrigerator door, Harry gasps in shock and clutches his chest.

There’s a little girl. In Liam’s kitchen.

Harry looks around, trying to rack his brain and remember if Liam ever mentioned that his house was haunted. The little girl simply watches him but for the most part, Harry thinks she isn’t a ghost. Her hair is messy and it looks like she’s got pajamas on. After a closer inspection, Harry sees that there are tiny pandas on them.

“Uh…hello,” he says cautiously. “What’s your name?”

The little girl pads over to the kitchen island and pulls a chair out, struggling for a moment as she climbs up and sits comfortably.

“Stella,” she answers, her bare feet dangling from the chair. “You look like a girl.”

Harry’s eyebrows nearly raise to his hairline. He laughs loudly and looks over her shoulder. Is she the daughter of one of Liam’s friends?

“Why do you say that?” he questions, opening his juice box.

Stella doesn’t hesitate with her answer. “Because your hair is long,” she replies.

Harry nods in understanding and sips his juice. “My hair _is_ long. But I’m a boy. Do you think boys can have long hair?” he asks, sitting across from her.

She taps a finger on her chin and squints her eyes. “I think so. I—I think everybody should have long hair,” she mumbles.

Harry tilts his head and regards her quietly. “It’s more fun to play with, isn’t it?” he wonders.

Stella nods furiously and chirps out an enthusiastic, “Yes!”

Harry smiles at her. “My name is Harry,” he murmurs. “Are you…do you know Liam?”

The girl looks puzzled for a moment as she rubs her eyes and asks, “Liam?”

Maybe she is a ghost, Harry thinks. He looks around her shoulder once more and when he sees no one, he decides to try again.

“This is Liam’s house,” Harry explains. “Did you come here with your Mummy or Daddy?”

Stella lights up at that sentence. “Yes! We came with Daddy. We played in the pool today and I got some candy from,” she furrows her eyebrows. “From Liam, I think.”

“Oh,” Harry murmurs. “Is your Daddy friends with Liam?”

Stella nods, yawning quietly. Harry wonders if she had been sleeping upstairs. He didn’t see anyone else in the house that could have been the girl’s father.

“Were you sleeping?” Harry questions gently. He sets his empty juice box to the side and watches the girl.

Stella nods again, messy waves of hair covering her face. She scrunches her nose and pushes the locks away. “Daddy said we had to go to sleep but I got thirsty,” she explains.

Harry hums in understanding. So, her father was asleep in the house somewhere. He didn’t exactly understand why they were spending the night but he couldn’t deny that the beds in Liam’s guest rooms were more comfortable than his own bed at home. He had a feeling that many people liked to sleepover at Liam’s house simply because of that fact.

“Would you like some water?” Harry asks, getting up.

Stella nods and places her small fists on the counter. “Yes, please,” she says politely.

Harry gets her a glass of water and hands it over, watching in silence as she drinks it gladly. She kicks her feet and lets out a loud exhale when she’s finished more than half of it.

Harry chuckles, massaging the inside of his palm. “You were quite thirsty, weren’t you?” he simpers.

Stella wipes her mouth and pushes the glass towards him. She hums in agreement. Harry takes the glass and dumps out the rest of the water before setting it in the sink. When he turns back around, Stella is staring at him brightly.

“I think it’s time for you to go back to bed, hm?” Harry suggests carefully.

He exhales in relief when the little girl nods and climbs down from her chair, yawning and rubbing her tired eyes. He wouldn’t have known what to do if she had refused or worse, thrown a fit. Harry was good with children but he wasn’t very comfortable dealing with a stranger’s child.

Harry follows her out of the kitchen, not wanting the girl to get lost in such a big house. He walks next to her in silence as they climb upstairs and turn towards a dark hallway.

Suddenly, Stella’s small hand is clutching his.

Harry looks down at her, noting that her face has become serious. She must be scared of the dark.

“Let’s see which room you were in, okay?” Harry whispers gently. Stella nods and follows him as he begins to peek into each room.

The first room is empty. Harry continues on, towing Stella along, and gets a surprise when he sees that the second room is definitely occupied.

Harry’s heart skips a beat as he takes in what’s in front of him.

There are two large beds in the room. Lottie, Fizzy, Phoebe, and Daisy are all asleep in one bed. There are sprawled limbs everywhere and Harry is pretty sure that Daisy just might fall out and onto the floor at some point.

But the second bed. There’s only one person in the second bed and even in the darkness, Harry recognizes him.

Louis.

Harry looks down at Stella and finds the little girl staring up at him expectantly. He swallows hard and kneels so both of them are at eye level.

“Is that your Daddy?” he whispers quietly, nodding towards Louis’ sleeping form. He tries his best to keep his voice even.

Harry feels like his head is spinning when Stella nods and whispers back a clear _yes._

Harry releases her hand and gestures towards the bed. “Why don’t you go climb back into bed with him, alright? Get a good night’s sleep,” he murmurs, standing up. He wants to run out of this room more than anything else right now.

Stella nods and pads over to the bed, pulling the blanket back so she can get under the covers. Harry watches as she climbs up and settles on her back, pulling the duvet up to her chin. Louis doesn’t wake up at her rustling.

Harry can’t help but smile when a tiny hand waves at him. He waves back at the charming little girl.

“Goodnight,” he whispers.

He takes one last look around the room, making sure none of this is a dream, before he walks out and shuts the door quietly behind himself.

*

When Louis wakes up the next morning, he finds the bed empty next to him.

He rubs his eyes and sits up, looking around the room as he scratches his head. The other bed across the room is empty, as well. The girls must have woken up before him and gone downstairs, he thinks.

Louis pulls the duvet away and climbs out of bed, yawning as he stretches his muscles. The beds in Liam’s guest rooms were extremely comfortable. After they had all finished watching their fifth episode of Powerpuff Girls last night, Louis told all of the girls that they needed to go to bed. He had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and his body melded with the soft mattress.

Louis stands, stumbling blearily to the bathroom. After he’s taken a piss and he’s washing his hands, his ears perk up. He can hear loud laughter coming from somewhere.

He dries his hands hastily and leaves the bathroom, walking into the hallway and towards the source of the sound. It’s coming from downstairs. There are multiple voices – some of them he recognizes as his sisters – and one voice in particular that is very deep.

Louis follows the voices, strolling quietly towards the kitchen. He comes to a standstill once he reaches the entrance. He blinks, incredulous, at the sight before him.

“Harry?”

Louis slaps a hand over his mouth once he realizes that he’s spoken aloud. Everyone in the kitchen turns to look at him, suddenly quiet, except for Stella.

“Good morning, Daddy,” she says, a big smile on her face. “We’re making pancakes!”

Louis blinks slowly. The younger twins are sitting at the kitchen island while Lottie and Fizzy have cutting boards in front of them. They both give Louis an inquisitive look before going back to preparing breakfast. Stella is standing near the stove next to...

“What are you doing here?” Louis asks, keeping his voice composed. He’s never been more startled in his life.

Harry turns slowly, glancing at Louis from his place at the stove. He’s got an apron on and he’s flipping pancakes with ease while Stella watches. Louis’ mouth twitches when he notices that both him and Stella have flour in their dark hair.

Harry looks back down at the pan. “I was with Niall and Gemma last night. Liam invited us,” he explains. “We, uh, didn’t know all of you were here.”

“Liam invited you?” Louis asks. That can’t be right.

Harry shakes his head, finishing his pancake and putting it on a clean plate. “Well, no. He texted Niall and I came along. It’s, um—” he huffs out a short laugh. “It’s my fault. I—I really didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

Louis takes a few steps into the kitchen, leaning against the counter with Stella standing between him and Harry. He looks down and gives her a kind smile. She pokes her tongue out and Louis chuckles, reaching out to brush some flour off her forehead.

Harry is silent next to them as he begins to cook another pancake.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Harry,” Louis murmurs. He tilts his head and watches as the younger man flips the pancake expertly. “I was just surprised to see you here. That’s all.”

“I was surprised, too,” Harry replies, voice quiet. Suddenly, he clears his throat and bites his bottom lip. He looks guilty. Maybe he hadn’t meant to say that.

Louis glances down at Stella. If anyone in this room is guilty, it’s him.

“I’m sorry that I haven’t introduced you,” he says ruefully, stroking Stella’s hair. “Um, this is Stella. My daughter.”

He doesn’t miss the way Harry shifts his feet at that. Louis continues on to the best of his abilities, addressing Stella this time. “And this is Harry, love. He’s a very good friend of mine.”

Harry turns his head, smiling brightly at the little girl and giving her a wink.

Stella grins back at him and does her best to return the wink. Louis laughs gently. It looks like she has something stuck in her eye.

Once Harry finishes his last pancake, Louis helps the girls bring all of the food out to the dining room table. Lottie brings out plates and utensils while Louis returns upstairs with Stella, waking Liam up from where he’s snoring loudly in bed. After, Louis tows Stella along while they find Niall and Gemma sleeping soundly in the last guest bedroom. Both of them are happy to see Louis but they’re genuinely surprised when he introduces them to Stella.

It’s not an entirely bad morning. Louis sits with everyone at the dining room table, talking about everything from how their families are doing to what places the girls want to visit now that they’re in America for the holidays. Louis listens for the most part, trying not to make it too obvious that he’s gladly stuffing his face with Harry’s perfect pancakes.

It might be too obvious when Lottie doesn’t finish her plate and Louis asks if he can have the rest of her food. Oh, well. Louis thinks it’s completely worth it when Harry gives him a pleased smile.

*

_Five Months Later_

Louis is currently freaking out.

Today is Stella’s sixth birthday party and he can’t find the gift that he made for her.

He searches every nook and cranny of his Doncaster home, Lottie and Fizzy trailing behind him and asking questions about where was the last place he saw it in. The guests were due to arrive any minute now, the food was done, the gifts were wrapped, and Louis couldn’t remember where the present was. He was sure he looked like a nervous wreck. Cigarettes were out of the question since he had quit that habit months ago.

So, he begins to take deep breaths.

“Did you put it in a drawer?” Lottie asks, moving towards his wardrobe.

Louis shakes his head. “I didn’t,” he mumbles. Where the fuck did he put it?

Fizzy sighs loudly. “C’mon, Lou. Think harder,” she pushes.

Louis’ next thought is interrupted when the doorbell rings. He rubs his forehead, cursing, and goes downstairs.

“I’ve got it,” he calls out, moving towards the door before someone else can answer it.

Louis doesn’t know how it’s possible, but his mood is significantly lifted when he opens the door and sees a pair of bright green eyes and pretty, brunette curls.

“Hello,” Harry simpers. He leans forward and embraces Louis, the older man easily hugging him back.

For the past five months, he and Harry had gotten on better terms within their personal relationship. After that morning at Liam’s house, Harry had started to come over often under the excuse that he wanted to see Louis’ sisters and Stella. Louis didn’t turn him away, could never do that if he was being honest with himself, and it felt good having him around. It felt like old times. Stella got along well with Harry and Louis enjoyed watching them together.

It simply felt right.

“Hello to you, too,” Louis mumbles, his face squished in Harry’s neck. Harry pulls away and looks into his eyes. Louis glances down at his socked feet, slightly overwhelmed by Harry’s strong gaze.

“You sound grumpy,” Harry observes, coming inside when Louis steps to the side. Louis shuts the door behind him and fixes his hair. “Is everything okay?”

Louis rubs his hands together and exhales. “Not really. I’ve lost Stella’s gift. We’ve been searching everywhere for it.”

Harry hums in understanding. “What is it?” he questions.

“It’s a locket,” Louis answers, moving to the living room. Harry trails after him. It’s only then that Louis notices the large box that Harry is carrying.

“Did you have that when you came in?” Louis asks suspiciously, stepping forward to take the box from Harry’s hands. He moves to put it in the corner with the rest of Stella’s gifts, his eyebrows raising when he feels how heavy it is.

“I had to set it down when I arrived. I didn’t realize how heavy it would be,” Harry says, shifting from foot to foot. Louis turns around and studies him.

“What is it?” he asks, crossing his arms. Harry looks slightly nervous all of a sudden.

Harry waves his hand noncommittally at the box on the floor. “It’s nothing, really. She, um, mentioned wanting one months ago,” he says, biting his bottom lip. Louis knows that he’s hiding something.

“Harold,” he starts. “Give it up.”

Harry sighs and hangs his head, curls falling in front of his eyes. “It’s a telescope,” he mumbles.

Louis’ eyes widen at that. “A telescope?! Those things are fucking expensive, Harry,” he exclaims. “You didn’t have to get her that.”

“I wanted to,” Harry answers quickly. He shrugs helplessly and smiles, dimples showing. “I really wanted to, Lou.”

Louis hangs his head and exhales a shaky breath, laughing quietly to himself. “I can’t believe you. You spoil my daughter so much.”

“No, I don’t,” Harry murmurs, looking down at his clasped hands. “Would it be a bad thing if I did?”

Louis simply stares at Harry, overwhelmed with so much love for the younger man. Harry is still the same sweet, kind, and generous person he’s always been. Even after all these years and even after all of the shit they’ve been through.

Louis remembers his mother’s words. _Take a chance._

He takes a couple of steps forward, coming to a stop in front of Harry. Harry looks up at him listlessly from underneath his eyelashes.

“Harry,” he murmurs, cheeks heating up. “Can—Can I kiss you?”

Louis takes a deep breath and holds it in. He’s such an idiot. They were doing so well with becoming friends again and he probably just blew it. Even after months of flirting and getting close again, Louis had no right to ask Harry for anything. He didn’t even know if Harry was seeing someone or wanting to stay single. He shouldn’t have asked, he _shouldn’t_ have –

Suddenly, Harry is pulling him close. Louis gasps as he fits against Harry’s chest comfortably, his arms coming up to wrap around the younger man’s neck. His mouth hovers delicately over Harry’s.

Although their faces are nearly touching, Louis can sense Harry’s smile.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Harry chuckles warmly. Before Louis can think of a retort for that answer, Harry is gently threading his hand through the hair at the back of Louis’ head and leaning forward to kiss him.

Louis releases the breath he was holding and returns the kiss instinctively. Kissing Harry is exactly as he remembered it to be – heartfelt, slow, and better than anything else that he has experienced. It feels like coming home after being away for a long time. Louis doesn’t know how he lived two years without this.

Louis starts to giggle – fucking _giggle_ – as Harry smiles into his mouth and kisses him harder. He pecks quick, little kisses from the corner of Louis’ mouth to his temple, pulling away only after Louis whines his name in annoyance.

“I’m supposed to be the one doing the ravishing, _Harold_ ,” Louis huffs, keeping his arms locked around Harry’s neck. He places a slow, wet kiss underneath Harry’s ear.

Harry holds him close by his lower back. “I couldn’t wait any longer,” he says, breathless. Louis laughs blissfully at that.

Suddenly, there’s a loud intake of breath. Louis looks over to the entrance of the living room, blushing a light pink as he meets his mother’s gaze.

“Oh! I—I’m sorry,” she laughs, eyes crinkling in embarrassment. “I thought everyone was outside. Hello, Harry! How are you, darling?”

Louis forces himself out of Harry’s arms – albeit with great difficulty – and steps away. Jay approaches and gives Harry a warm embrace, rubbing his back as she smiles kindly.

“I’m doing well, Jay. It’s so nice to see you. You look lovely,” Harry rambles, fixing his hair when she pulls away. Jay takes his face in her hands and looks at him fondly.

“Thank you, dear. Your hair has gotten so long,” she says in awe, stroking a curl with her fingers. “It looks wonderful!”

Harry blushes and looks down at his feet. “Thank you,” he murmurs.

“I was just showing Harry where to put Stella’s present,” Louis interjects, pointing over his shoulder at the pile of gifts in the corner.

Jay squints her eyes at him, waggling a finger playfully. “I’m sure you were, love. Why don’t you both come outside?” she asks. “Stella is asking for you.”

“We’ll be outside in a minute, Mum. Harry is going to help me look for something,” Louis explains, sharing a look with the younger man.

Harry nods in agreement. “Louis misplaced Stella’s gift so we’re going to look for it,” he adds.

Before Jay can reply, Lottie and Fizzy come bounding into the living room. Fizzy holds Stella’s gift in her hand, the purple box sitting neatly in her palm.

“We found it!” Lottie cries, wrapping her arms around Fizzy’s shoulders as they both pant loudly. “It was in the pocket of one of your jackets!”

Louis smacks himself on the forehead. “Of course!” he groans. “That’s where I put it after I picked it up.”

He takes the box from Fizzy’s hand and opens it, feeling mentally relieved when he sees the heart locket sitting safely in the plush cushioning. It was custom made and had a group picture of him, Stella, his sisters, Jay, Dan, and Ernest from a couple months ago. Louis thought it would be a nice gift for Stella, so she always remembered that they would always be her family and would love her forever.

Louis always wanted her to remember that.

“Thank you so much,” Louis says, pulling Lottie and Fizzy in for a hug. They return the embrace willingly.

The girls end up hugging Harry in excitement and whisking him away outside, explaining that they have some stuff to talk about with him. Louis can only watch, helpless, as the long-haired boy disappears out to the backyard. He eventually looks over when he feels a hand sitting on his shoulder.

“I’m proud of you, love,” Jay whispers, hugging Louis by the hip and resting her head on his shoulder. Louis holds her close, both of them watching the scene outside through the living room window.

“I was scared,” Louis says honestly. “I thought it was over for us.”

Jay glances up at him and smiles in sympathy. “No, sweetheart. Not for you two,” she whispers.

Louis places a gentle kiss on her forehead, rubbing her shoulder in gratitude. He loves her so much.

Later, after more guests have arrived and everyone has eaten, Louis watches fondly as Stella opens her gifts one by one. She gasps with excitement after each present is opened, showing it excitedly first to Louis and then to Harry. Both of them show their interest by making excited noises and smiling cheerfully when Stella gets so distracted by one present that she forgets there’s more to open.

“Stella, come here and open this one,” Louis coaxes, standing by Harry’s gift. Harry beams with happiness when he sees his box. “This one is from Harry,” he adds.

Stella takes her time with opening the box. Harry watches eagerly when she finally takes the rest of the wrapping off and sees the picture on the front.

“It’s a telescope,” Louis says. “You can see stars and planets at night with this.”

“Wow!” Stella says elatedly. She looks at the rest of the pictures on the box, her mouth dropped open. “I wanted to see the stars in the sky,” she mumbles.

“Now you can,” Harry says, smiling. Stella looks up when she hears his voice. Suddenly, she skips over and jumps into the younger man’s arms. Everyone laughs as the little girl chirps out a loud, “Thank you, Harry!”

Harry pats her on the back, hugging her close. “Happy Birthday, love,” he murmurs. “I’m so happy that you like it.”

Stella kisses him on the cheek and turns around to look at Louis. He’s been watching the interaction quietly with a content smile on his face. He winks at Harry when they make eye contact.

“Can I use it tonight, Daddy?” Stella asks.

Louis nods and walks over to kneel in front of her. “Of course, sweetheart. But only if you open my birthday present for you,” he says, taking the purple box out of his pocket and holding it out to her.

Stella takes the box from him and starts to unwrap it. Harry observes silently from behind her shoulder. Everyone else remains quiet as they sit and watch, apart from Jay who is standing and taking pictures with her camera.

Stella opens the box and touches the locket with her finger. Louis gently takes it from her and pulls it out, holding it up so she can see it better. He rests the locket in his palm.

“It’s a locket for you to wear. And there’s something for you inside,” Louis explains. He opens the locket with his other hand, turning his palm towards the little girl so the photograph is visible. “There’s a picture. It’s all of us. So, we’re always with you,” he murmurs.

Stella touches it again. “Can I wear it?” she asks.

Louis nods, reaching around her head to put the necklace on. He clicks the lock shut and adjusts the chain.

“I love you, Stella. We’re so happy that you’re with us,” Louis tells her sincerely. “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”

Stella touches the locket once more and then wraps her arms around Louis’ neck, hugging him tightly. “Thank you, Daddy,” she mumbles, squeezing him close. Louis rubs her back and kisses into her hair. He grins when he meets Harry’s affectionate gaze over Stella’s shoulder.

For Stella, it’s one of the best birthdays she’s ever had.

When the party ends later and most of the guests have left, Harry and Stella unbox the telescope together and set it up outside. Louis watches from the doorway, hugging himself under the spring stars. He knows that he and Harry have a lot to talk about regarding their relationship after today. But for now, he knows that they’re okay and that he feels at ease with his love for Harry. It doesn’t hurt him anymore when he looks at the younger man’s face or hears his voice.

For now, Louis is content with watching over the two people he loves most in this world.


End file.
